Disklavier

"X" meaning an Apple OS?

I was told by a dealer that they are dropping the Mark IV and will be selling the E3 as the main consumer model. 

--- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "stanley26" <stanley2000@...> wrote:
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> Yes, according to a reliable source (a confident/knowledgable yamaha authorized store owner) Mark IV will be replaced with X, and the PRO line of pianos will be dropped. The good news is that all X models will come with cool PRO resolution/functionality. There will be no other disklavier option avail. He said, that the new models will be in the format DC#X and mostly made in Europe, but he wasn't sure exactly where.
> 
> He didn't know why they picked X.. Maybe because Apple has been doing pretty good with their OSX.   ;-)
> 
> --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "kassey22000" <kassey22000@> wrote:
> >
> > 
> > I wish I could be as optimistic as others are on the future of the Disklavier Mark series product line.  I have only started to mine the rich depths of the combination of my C5 Pro -Mk IIXG with the DKC-850 upgrade (add-in mode).  With the help of so many talented contributors to this site I've been able to play songs from my laptop (with midi software and the DKBrowser), my iPhone, my Sonos distributed music system; record my own playing as well as others; trial songs off the Disklavier Radio, and so much more.  
> > 
> > Special thanks to the contributions to this amazing users group from folks like Bill Brandom of Yamaha as well as Carol Beigel, Mark Fontana, Kevin Goroway, Spencer Chase, George Litterst, Athomik, Aaron and so many others (many who I only know from their screen names) for making the rich experience with my Disklavier a level of musical entertainment and discovery I only barely understood when I started researching these amazing instruments.  However, having been involved in the technology industry and marketing in particular, I can't see a strong motivation on the part of the Yamaha Corporation to advance the product line beyond the E-3 series it is promoting in Europe (and the Americas with greater emphasis now).  
> > 
> > The capabilities of the Mark IV and especially the Pro models are beyond what so many regular piano players and even some younger artists would now need or utilize, that it has become (in this lagging economy) such a special electro-acoustic tool in volume sales as to be beyond most consumer's piano budget capacity and beyond the reasonable allocation of engineering budgets for even the giant Yamaha corporation.  With their acquisitions of the Boosendofer line of high-end instruments, Yamaha divisions can handle the very up-market customers while on the other hand, their remarkable line of purely digital pianos can accommodate most of the customers that love the sound and touch of an acoustic piano within the price-point of a high-end synthesizer.   
> > 
> > Many have waxed eloquently about the potential of a Disklavier Mark V for years now.  However, even with the cool upgrades to the Mark IV and E-3/DKC-850 firmware/software, the total equation is still dependent on the ever-changing personal computer technological marketplace which demands faster computation, larger storage capacity, more network security, smart device interfacing, digital rights management, and so much more attached to a very large, heavy, and mostly several-hundred-year-old acoustic instrument design.  The Mark IV hardware and software are now ancient compared to what the computer industry is offering. 
> > 
> > It must be a tough situation for many Yamaha piano retailers as well.  The Disklavier Mark models filled an important niche that not only attracted first time buyers into the showroom but lately provided an upgrade path for their pre-owned and older Disklavier inventory.  If it is indeed true that Yamaha has decided to quit producing the Mark IV line without ascendency (other than the E3 which is a whole different beast), this could present both an opportunity to grab a reasonably priced larger model and allow the dealers to clear out their old inventory with sales incentives from Yamaha.  Alas, the Pro models many of us love because of their amazing accuracy of reproduction may be lost in this product challenge.  While the e-competition will still be able to rely on the many number of institutional Pro models still around, eventually the head-units and internal electronic components of the DK Pro units will cease to have replacement parts and will not see the same repair potential of even the old yet still working Duo-Art, Ampico, and similar reproducing players that can to this day be rebuilt with wood, rubber, felt, and metal parts.  
> > 
> > In addition, the increasing lack of new pianosoft titles and content is not keeping up with the general growth of the popular music industry.  While many titles still actively sold and available for the Disklavier are pretty amazing in their musicality (artist Mike Garson comes to mind), a number of titles sold under the smart-pianosoft line have (IMHO) lackluster piano accompaniment and many of the older midi-orchestration accompaniment titles sound pretty cheesy with the tone generators found on the E3-DKC-850 head units especially when compared with the Mark IIXG to IV tone generators (this is why I've used the DKC-850 as an "add-on" not "replacement" installation). 
> > 
> > Is the writing on the wall for the amazing Disklavier Mark series, or is this just another chapter.  Surprise and delight us Yamaha, you have before…
> > 
> > --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "sjhart110110" <sjhart110@> wrote:
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> > > 
> > > 
> > > Maybe time for a Mark V!  Go speed racer, go!
> > > :)
> > > 
> > > --- In disklavier@yahoogroups.com, "shelbycalvert" <shelbycalvert@> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Hello!  I'm brand new to this group.  We just purchased a Disklavier last month and will receive it on Wednesday.  We are so excited.
> > > > 
> > > > Anyway, after we had purchased our piano, the owner of the piano store called and said that the Mark IV was being discontinued in October.  He upgraded us to a piano that was in stock somewhere (larger size) for no additional cost.  Although it worked out OK for us, I was wondering if anyone else has heard that Yamaha is discontinuing the Mark IV Series?
> > > > 
> > > > Please excuse me if this has come up already.  I tried to search the topics before I posted, but I didn't see anything.
> > > >
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